Esther Update!

So first, some pictures that my "grandpa" John took for me:

So, in the past two months my little one has gone from lying on her back most of the time, depending on me to feed her, and being pretty much content to be silent... to a sitting, climbing, crawling, bottle-holding, self-feeding, noisy bearer of two sharp teeth. Wow... babies are amazing. They change so much, so fast. It's so exciting to see her discovering new things seemingly everyday. Here's some new pics and videos:

Esther, feeding herself.

Goblin noises

Bed-head!

Esther hanging out with friends, Danya and Shea

Esther's first trip up little cottonwood canyon.

My favorite series:

Esther crawling and climbing steps! :)

That's all for now!

Summer Goals

Well, I did it. I set goals for myself this summer, and I accomplished them! What a great feeling. I read both A Tale of Two Cities, and Anna Karenina. I painted my kitchen cupboards white, and my main living area off-white. I found new curtains for the back door, and now like my curtains for the front windows (thanks to the wall color), thereby saving me the chore of having to sew some new ones. And, I ran my half-marathon. Whew!

So, the only thing I didn't accomplish was the weight-loss I had anticipated during my half marathon training. I was aiming for 15 lbs. and I lost 8 lbs. But still, I lost 8 pounds! I'm still 5-10 away from my prepregnancy weight, but I've learned a few things. First of all, that I didn't know how to lose weight. Well, actually, I think everyone KNOWS how to lose weight. You have to take in fewer calories than you use up. I had always thought, well, you eat healthy food and you exercise, right? WRONG. I've done that my whole adult life. That's how you MAINTAIN your weight. LOSING is different. Losing means measuring out everything you eat so you know exactly how many calories you're eating, and then exercising to come out at the end of the day with a calorie deficit. NOT FUN. I realized that up until now I had been exercising to EARN my extra calories (like, butter, and lattes, and french fries, for example). I'm a master at weight maintenance, I know exactly what I have to do at the gym to pay for what I eat, and that's why I exercise... so I can EAT. :)

Needless to say, that's been difficult for me to learn. But, hey, if I can be back down in my comfort zone (3-5 lbs away) by Esther's 9 month mark (Halloween) I will consider my efforts a success. 9 months up, 9 months down. And then I can go back to the GLORIOUS world of maintenance. :)

Before the race, cold but dry.

Coming up on mile 10, warmed up but soaking wet. :)

The kitchen, I love it!

My new paint and decor. I'm thrilled with the plant shelves, they have been such a pain try to figure out. If we ever have a different house, no plant shelves!

And, a preview of what is to come: an update on my favorite little person!